2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

May 3, 2017

Only America’s most ardent pragmatists choose minivan function over crossover fashion. The country’s refusal to acknowledge the family van’s myriad virtues—unparalleled people-carrying comfort, unmatched interior volume, and unequaled interior flexibility—might be its greatest automotive sin. Stigma, then, is strong with the guardian of the sliding door. Yet Chrysler defiantly marches the minivan forward with the electrification of its Pacifica, possibly the most significant innovation since sliding doors appeared on both sides of its 1996 vans.

Starting with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 found in the standard Pacifica, FCA engineers swapped the pistons, camshafts, and valves; bumped the compression ratio; and added Atkinson-cycle capability to maximize efficiency. Then they bolted the gas mill to a continuously variable planetary-­gear transmission that houses two electric motor/generators. Add-on electron propulsion never comes without compromise, however, and the Pacifica hybrid suffers the loss of the underfloor bins where the second-row seats normally stow. That space instead harbors a 16.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that fully charges in two hours on a 240-volt, 30-amp circuit or in just over 14 hours using a 120-volt wall plug.

The upshot is a relatively long electric-­only range, which we measured at 30 miles in 30-degree weather. (Chrysler claims 33 miles using the EPA’s methodology.)

But there is technically no all-electric mode, or any other selectable mode, for that matter. Chrysler says that minivan customers don’t want to have to think about maximum efficiency, so the company sets the powertrain parameters and that’s that.

The electrified van steers, turns, rides, and stops in ways not unlike the standard Chrysler van, despite a 568-pound weight penalty relative to a comparably equipped Pacifica Limited. Even its regenerative brake response, an interface where drivability often leaves the building, is a believable take on traditional friction stoppers. Compared with a standard Pacifica, only a half-second of zero-to-60-mph time is sacrificed on the altar of efficiency, but at a still-lively 7.8 seconds, acceleration is something no one is likely to complain about.

There was no need for Chrysler to tear up the Pacifica completely to integrate its battery pack. It fits nicely in the space normally used for in-floor storage bins.

An array of gauges in the instrument cluster supervises all manner of energy transmission, often redundantly. The replacements for the second-row stowable seats weigh a “go find your father” 66 pounds each and must be removed from the vehicle to create a flat load floor. The third row disappears into a well with a single pull-and-flop motion.

But in a minivan, where utility rules, electrification must be more than a political statement. Added value is a must. The EPA rates the Pacifica hybrid at 84 MPGe when it’s operating solely on electricity from the grid. But using electricity and ­gasoline, we observed 28 MPGe. Considering that the gas-only Pacifica yielded 20 mpg in our hands, and assuming 12,000 miles driven annually, the hybrid needs more than eight years to recover, in fuel-cost savings, its $2100 premium over a top-trim Pacifica Limited. But factor in the $7500 federal tax credit and the plug-in hybrid is cheaper than the van it’s based on. This Pacifica might finally pack enough practicality to outweigh its stigma. Ah, who are we kidding?